user-registration domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/gordonth/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6170When the play was first produced, American audiences were surprised to hear that Australia even took part in the Vietnam War.
ARENA Arts and Entertainment are a highly respected WA independent, not-for-profit arts organisation, dedicated to supporting Community Theatre and Theatre for Schools productions. They are presenting this, their latest drama at The Latvian Centre (LC), 60 Cleaver Street in Belmont, conveniently situated just off Great Eastern Highway, a couple of kms east of The Burswood.
The 2-hour production is nearing the end of its season, with performances on Thursday 23rd, Friday 24th, and Saturday 25th June. All shows begin at 8.00 pm.
The set comprises several black rostra at heights varying from 20 cms to 1 metre across the rear of the stage. There are brightly coloured cubes acting as seats. An impressive tree fills one corner.
The clever lighting and sound design by Simon James gave the impression of a much more substantial lighting and sound rig. The sound and lighting operators were Callum Vinsen and Brendan Ellis.
Stage manager Simon James was assisted by ASMs Stewart Mulligan, Sarah Langridge and Gema Seenarain, who worked speedily as a team between scenes. They were helped by the sprites and fairies from the Shakespearean opening scene of the play. These fairy costumes were made by Phylissa Meagher and Chris Ellis.
The audience find themselves as parents watching the last few seconds of Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Eve’. The sprites and fairies fill the aisles and run onto the stage. Year 12 student, ebullient Tom (Brad Albert) who is acting as Puck, moves to the front of the stage and takes his bow. The surprisingly prejudiced headmaster, Roy (Andrew Smally), congratulates his cast and their director, Miss Latrobe (Gema Seenarain).
After show, Tom meets attractive student, Meg (Madeleine Shaw). Meg’s hypochondriacal, snobbish mother, Gwen (Valerie Henry) is bossing her hen-pecked husband, Jim (Don Weaver), who loves Meg. Gwen then berates daughter Meg for talking to boys – especially Tom, one of those new Pommie immigrants!
For their holidays, Meg and her parents are hoping to travel afar in their luxury caravan. Gwen is never happy or satisfied, and even sets up contentious situations.
As the headmaster and his nervous wife, Coral (Stephanie Locke) leave the school, he starts to bully her for talking to staff and parents. Coral is broken hearted at losing a son decades earlier, and is trying to come to terms with the constant grief and needs friends. Perhaps her overfriendly meeting with Leonie (Sarah Langridge) or her passionate encounter with honeymooner, Rick (Stewart Mulligan) will cheer her up.
Tom’s Mum, Vic (Phylissa Meagher) proudly cuddles her son; her ‘blue collar’ husband from Nottingham, Harry (Simon James) tells Tom how proud he is. Tom’s parents are struggling financially, and are heading off for a basic camping holiday.
To everyone’s horror, it is not long before the headmaster and his wife, Meg’s family and Tom’s clan all find themselves in the same camping site for their 1967 Christmas break. The campsite has Christmas entertainment with Hawaiian dancers and a zany and enthusiastic Master of Ceremonies, (Michael Moshos), who parallels Ariel in the ‘Tempest’. However, the weather turns nasty and a storm causes destruction to the camping area – a real life ‘Tempest’.
Director Christine Ellis has lucidly directed this complex character study. Every person has been richly written, and in this production, we can immediately connect and recognise them with people we know in our lives.
The ARENAarts is always keen to give newcomers a chance to act, and in this play the impressive male lead was new to the stage. There were some very good performances, with ‘old troupers’ like Val and Simon giving superb performances whilst generously, but subtly, helping others around them on the stage. One actor was word perfect, with good powerful diction but was so locked off on the script that the acting suffered. Try to think what the words mean as you are saying them, and let your body go with the flow.
The pace was very good, and the mood of the play, which varied from hilarity to deep tragedy well displayed.
It was good to see Simon James – as good as ever – back on the stage, after years of designing the lighting and sound.
A beautifully written play, well presented with some very strong performances.
]]>The scene (set design by Christine Ellis) is an empty stage in the St Ignatius Church Hall. Later a stage set with sitting room furnishings.
It is the mid-1970s, and so the costumes are bold patterns, lace and of course the flared trousers (costumes Gail Michalzik and Melville Theatre). The director employed the auditorium aisle in several scenes. The lighting – very good, atmospheric opening scene – was designed by Stephen Marr, and operated by Tiernan Stephens, Jason Millman and Joy Miles. Audio design was by Lindsay Goodwin and Callon Leam. Stage manager Melissa Skeffington.
It is a rehearsal night for the local, suburban Amateur Dramatic Society. 20-year old Alan (Callon Leam) has arrived early to meet his new love, Margaret (Jay Shaw). She a woman twice his age and is married to the play’s unbearable director, Phillip (Paul Williams). As Margaret and Alan are cuddling, in the shadows lurks the new janitor, Ted (Ian Fraser) a pedantic, obstreperous man.
The other cast members arrive, and the rehearsal begins. One of the older members, Phoebe (Julie Holmshaw) and nervous newcomer, Pat (Sarah Langridge) start reading through their parts. The third member of the scene Doris (Dee Rowlands) has not turned up, and is already an hour late, so the stage manager, Ronnie (Gino Cataldo) is given the task of filling in for Doris.
After half an hour Doris staggers onto the stage in a terrible state, a prowler has molested her. Minutes later, someone is found dead in the kitchen.
What evil has hit this little hamlet?
The story got off to a slow start, with a poorly written First Act, which is surprising considering the quality of the fast moving and intriguing Second Act. The authors have endeavoured to work into the First Act a bit of slapstick comedy, which – although well performed – just did not work and cheapened the story.
There were out of date references such as to ‘Chief Inspector Barlow’, a character from the exceptionally popular BBC’s 1960s series, ‘Softly, Softly’. However, the actors battled on and the end of the performance was filled with suspense and some fine performances.
The cast performed well, and rose to the occasion – when the script did. The play has a good story thread, and is certainly worth seeing. Can you guess who the killer is?
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The first play of the trilogy was presented at Stirling Theatre, the second at The Old Mill and this final, 90-minute episode is now showing at KADS (Kalamunda Dramatic Society), Town Square Community Theatre, Kalamunda every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night at 8.00 until 9th August.
The exceptional set is of a carpeted corporate office, complete with water cooler, coffee trolley and several chairs. The walls are dove grey, with a royal blue feature wall showing the company’s logo. The set was solidly built and gave a very spacious appearance to the limited stage area. Set design was by Chris Ellis, who was aided in the décor by Karen Woodcock-Hall.
The office door opens and the youngish, casually dressed facilitator, Jack Manning (Rhett Clarke) enters the meeting room of the charity organisation, ‘Enabling and Caring’. He arranges the chairs and just as he sits, two middle-aged women enter. They are frumpily dressed Amanda (Caroline McDonnell), Head of Programme Management, with her best friend and colleague, the project officer, Stella (Karen Woodcock-Hall).
Feeling that they have been bullied and insulted at work, they have asked the Chairman of the Board, Brian (John Pomfret) for a conciliation meeting. Brian confirmed to the facilitator that his company was a charity, supporting intellectually disabled children and adults.
When the old and supportive CEO left, the new ‘get-ahead’, perfectly groomed female CEO, Bridget (Gael Campbell-Young), replaced him. She is attending the meeting with her young clique, marketing manager Guilia (Kristen Twynam-Perkins) and young Cassie (Kassandra Smith) who has just taken over as financial controller from Amanda.
As Jack settles down to interviewing the group, he nibbles away at the various versions of what has gone on, confirming various points with the company’s HR specialist, Tamsyn (Natalie Aung Tan).
Do the two women really have a genuine case of bullying? Or are they just jealous of the new CEO and her daring and exciting new ideas?
This topic is very much in the news, with legal cases almost every day for various forms of bullying and sexual harassment.
The cast were all very strong, but the two main characters, Amanda and Bridget were outstanding. The actors who played them were both very new to the stage; Caroline captured the withdrawn and nervous Amanda perfectly. It is hard to believe that Gael has only been acting for a few months. She had a major part with a complex character, yet the dialogue flowed naturally and with all the correct body movements and expressions. The audience could be heard to gasp on several occasions and the truth was revealed.
The director, Christine Ellis, took over the third part of the trilogy from her son. Brendan did an amazing job directing the first two parts. The direction called for real, in-depth character studies for each actor, with their lines being delivered with subtlety. The cast melded beautifully.
A little bit of a hike to Kalamunda, but well worth the trip. An excellent show, great script and terrific performances. Try and catch it before it goes.
]]>The performances are nightly at 8.00 until Saturday 2nd August, with a 2.00 pm Sunday matinee.
‘At Home with the Herringbones’ is a very funny comedy / mystery by local playwright and actor, Bob Charteris. Bob also directed it.
It is a typical evening in the lounge of Herringbone Manor.
When the syntax pedant, Lord Herringbone (Paul Anderson) inherited the family estate he was a wealthy man. However, with the massive running costs, Lady Penelope (Fran Gordon) and himself have had to cut back on staff, and are now down to a cook and their doddery, inebriate butler, Wick (Peter Flannigan).
Their house is crumbling around them and their daughter, Caroline (Alexandra D’Ulisse), is worried about their future so has asked a friend, Alyce (Georgi Ivers), to call around and have a chat to her parents.
This is a delightful story with several good story threads, all working very well. The dialogue is clever, with each character having distinct characteristics. The play flows well and the cast delivers the humour with aplomb. The pace was slightly off, but this was a first night, and I know the cast have the skills to correct this. Good chemistry, and assured performances. Fran Gordon was particularly good as the downtrodden wife.
‘The Audition’ was written by American playwright, Matt Thompson. It received a nomination for the ‘Best Short Comedy of 2000’. Here, it has been directed by Stirling’s stalwart, Christine Ellis and her young assistant, Teale Harrison.
A community theatre is holding auditions for its next production – ‘Medea’. The officious stage manager (Teale Harrison) is in charge. Her assistant is poor, intimidated Robin (Moira Barker) who doesn’t have the slightest chance of doing anything correctly. To the stage manager’s chagrin, attractive, enthusiastic Kelley (Tiffany Kennedy) arrives early. She is followed by a mime artist, Question Mark (Prea Cunningham) and an effervescent, bouncy girl, Jules (Neve Haverscroft), both of whom cause the SM nightmares.
When M. R. Irving (Gray Harrison) arrives for his audition, this young man seems to have had classical training and speaks with a perfect English accent. He is followed by a latecomer, a lookalike for Shirley Temple (Lexy Latto).
A very young cast, the oldest being about 15 yrs., were remarkably self-assured. They nailed their parts perfectly. They sang, danced, delivered comedy and spoke clearly with confidence. A delightful piece.
With such young talent as this bubbling along, some of the adults should be worried for their own future. ‘Never work with children!’ – These are kids ANY adult would love to work with.
A most pleasant night out with both plays being enthusiastically received by the audience.
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